Kara Carter
Words by Kara Carter
With summer in full swing, the last thing you want after picking out fresh produce is an inedible piece of fruit like this woman has experienced at her local Walmart after picking up a watermelon that bends? A consumer is less likely to know where their produce comes from and the ethical trade behind their purchase when shopping at big conglomerates like Walmart and Publix. So this summer, why not try to shop food grown locally?
Here are some farms around Jacksonville that you can get fresh, locally grown produce, and most of the time it is more cost effective than your local grocery store.
Eat Your Yard Jax
6500 Utsey Road, Jacksonville, FL 32219
This farm has all the goods from fresh berries to medicinal herbs to entire pomegranate trees. The founder Tim Armstrong grew up on the Westside of Jacksonville and worked in several nurseries within the area. Armstrong has a background in Special Education as well, some of his past students work at the farm too. The farm offers citrus trees starting at $35 and blueberry bushes starting at $10 – two cartons of blueberries will be $10 at Publix, why not buy an entire bush?
5 Points Farm
2033 Post St. Jacksonville, FL 32204
This farm is one of the first of its kind in Jacksonville. This is an aeroponic farm that can grow various types of lettuce and other herbs vertically. The farm lets patrons roam the building, looking up close and personal to the towers and even offering 24 hour live streaming to see how the vegetables are harvested and grown. They offer prepackaged salad mixes, dressings and local cheese, all at competitive pricing. They are very transparent about their process and even offer aeroponic towers for sale so you can grow your own vegetables as well.
Blu By U
5571 Long Branch Road, Jacksonville, FL 32234
This farm offers a fun, low stress activity for people of all ages to enjoy. The farm specializes in blueberries, which are in season right now! Guests can grab a bucket and start picking blueberries right off the bush. If you get tired of the heat, they even have a country store that offers different concessions and local jam for purchase. Once you’re done with that, you can head over to their petting zoo full of various animals like goats, chickens and donkeys.
Congaree and Penn
11830 Old Kings Road Jacksonville, Florida 32219
This is the epitome of a farm to table experience. This farm specializes in offering a restaurant experience at the farm with fresh, harvested ingredients on the property. The restaurant features many Southern classics like shrimp and grits, cornbread, and mac and cheese. They also offer venue rentals for special occasions like weddings and photoshoots.
Kravey Gardens
This is an urban garden located in the Riverside area, specializing in microgreens and leafy greens. You can find them at the Riverside Arts Market, Atlantic Beach Farmers Market and Palm Valley Market. If making decisions in person gives you anxiety, fear not; you can place orders online ahead of time! They are offering $5 kale bunches and $6 arugula greens, very competitive prices for locally grown produce.
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